Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement (MLAWCRR) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) held a National stakeholder consultation workshop on risk reduction of Highly Hazardous Pesticides. The workshop which was held on 13 December 2018 in Harare is one of the Zimbabwean Government’s responses to the current problem where Highly Hazardous Pesticides are extensively being used in Zimbabwe and causing irreparable damage to the environment and human health.
The move by Government to address the growing problem of using internationally banned and Highly Hazardous Pesticides is aimed at strengthening Zimbabwe’s capacity for sound pest and pesticide management including risk reduction of Highly Hazardous Pesticides.
PELUM-ZWE Country Coordinator, Gertrude Pswarayi-Jabson participated in this consultative workshop and has this to say:
“I am shocked at the level at which Zimbabweans are using Highly Hazardous Pesticides. With the increase of pests that wreck havoc to farmers’ harvests, this problem is likely going to increase. There isn’t enough awareness on this issue and we would like to increase awareness on the dangers on Highly Hazardous Pesticides especially among smallholder farmers through advocacy and awareness raising activities.”
Dealing with pests such as fall army worm has led to many smallholder farmers using deadly pesticides in order to save their harvest. But this has come at a huge cost.
“Highly Hazardous Pesticides are difficult to dispose. Improper disposal of these deadly toxins contaminates soils, air and water bodies. It is lethal to plants, animals, insects, bacteria and fungi. In humans, it has caused death and in some cases this has affected the reproductive and respiratory systems,” says Pswarayi-Jabson.
Despite these facts, Zimbabweans are unconsciously putting themselves at risk when they buy cheap, smuggled and banned pesticides sold by illegal vendors and some legal dealers.
“Boric acid is a banned pesticide yet you find it on the streets being sold by unscrupulous dealers. It is used to make a pesticide that kills cockroaches,” says Pswarayi-Jabson.
But there is another catch to this problem linked to poverty and water shortages faced throughout the country. Illegal venders are making a living selling Highly Hazardous Pesticides while many households in rural and urban areas are using empty pesticide containers to store water for domestic use. But an official at the consultative workshop said it was extremely difficult to get rid of the pesticide even after washing these containers.
In 2016, FAO and the World Health Organization (WHO) developed the International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management – Guidelines on Highly Hazardous Pesticides. The Highly Hazardous Pesticides Guidelines specify the key steps to address Highly Hazardous Pesticides and this involves three stages - identification, assessment and mitigation.
Zimbabwe has screened all pesticides registered in Zimbabwe to identify Highly Hazardous Pesticides but implementation remains a big challenge. Much work needs to be done to raise awareness among citizens and a multi stakeholder approach is needed.
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